we'd have huge cuts not just in defense but across the board. and at a time when the economy is still slowly climbing out of that deep hole, it could put us right back in there, so it's very serious. i am an optimist. i think we're going to solve this problem in the lame duck, and here's why. it's sort of -- the people who have stood in the way, obviously this is my judgment, more than anybody else are the hard right republicans. but there are two groups in the senate and house of republicans. there are no more moderates, good bless susan collins, but there are mainstream conservatives like the man sitting here before me, john mccain, lamar alexander, lindsey graham, and the mainstream conservatives will want to make an agreement. and when romney embraced ryan and said i'm going the hard right way and loses the election, which if he does and it looks like he will, i believe he will, and i think by a significant margin, 52-48 or somewhere around there, the mainstream republicans are strengthened. and i'll tell you my view, both boehner and mcconn